Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo-woo in medicine.﻿Using the fear of Ebola to promote the placebo legislation that is “right to try”﻿ (David Gorski) Proposed “right-to-try” bills capitalize on fears that the FDA is withholding cures from desperately ill people, and now on fears of Ebola. Existing laws already allow for compassionate use of experimental drugs; and anyway, state laws are likely to be ignored at the federal level. Even the financial aspects of “right-to-try” legislation are disturbing, offering no protection to those who suffer adverse effects of treatment, and providing access only to those who can afford the considerable expense.

Conspiracy theories and Ebola virus transmission(David Gorski) Ebola quarantine policies are being questioned, and conspiracy theories are running wild. The CDC is alleged to have lied about Ebola transmission, denying that it can be spread by airborne droplets. This is due to a misunderstanding about droplet size and the difference between airborne transmission and droplet transmission; some droplets can stay airborne but are not infectious. To catch Ebola, direct contact with infected body fluids is required.

Can Airrosti Really Resolve Most Chronic Pain in Just Three Visits?(Harriet Hall) Airrosti is an organization that claims amazing success in treating musculoskeletal pain. They use myofascial release and other treatments that are not supported by scientific evidence. They advertise that they have “extensive third-party research” proving Airrosti is the most effective, efficient, and affordable option; they don’t have any such thing.

False Memory Syndrome Alive and Well(Steven Novella) Recovered memory syndrome was a massive failure on the part of the mental health profession that peaked in the 1980s. The myth of repressed memories of sexual abuse was used to explain all kinds of symptoms, leading to ruined lives and criminal convictions of innocent people. A recent survey shows that the majority of clinical psychologists continue to hold these false beliefs.

Naturopathy vs. Science: Fake Diseases(Scott Gavura) Naturopaths diagnose Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome in healthy people whose temperatures are on the low side of the normal range and treat them inappropriately with thyroid hormone. It is an invented pseudoscientific fake disease, like many other fake diseases diagnosed by naturopaths, such as adrenal fatigue, multiple chemical sensitivity, Morgellons, chronic candida, and “chronic” Lyme disease.

More Fear-Based Practice Building: Shaken Baby Syndrome and Chiropractic(Clay Jones) “Shaken baby syndrome,” or abusive head trauma, is a devastating form of child abuse. In order to increase their business, chiropractors have frightened parents with blatant misinformation, claiming that normal play activities like bouncing a child on one’s knee can injure the brain and spine, and that chiropractic adjustments are necessary to correct subluxations in infants and young children.

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SWIFTis named after Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels. In the book, Gulliver encounters among other things a floating island inhabited by spaced-out scientists and philosophers who hardly deal with reality. Swift was among the first to launch well-designed critiques against the flummery - political, philosophical, and scientific - of his time, a tradition that we hope to maintain at The James Randi Foundation.